Palaszczuk Labor Government, Environment Legislation
Mr PERRETT (Gympie—LNP) (2.47 pm): I rise to speak about the government’s secret plan to
change environmental legislation, as revealed in the Australian today. It follows revelations industry
stakeholders were forced to sign an unprecedented confidentiality deed to view secret legislation
drafted by the Queensland environment department. That is correct; this government knew the backlash
from their proposed legislation would be so severe that they made Queensland stakeholders sign a
confidentiality deed before they could review it. Let that sink in. Requiring confidentiality deeds for
proposed legislation is unprecedented and unheard of. It is not just me saying that. It is the barrage of
stakeholders who are deeply concerned about the practices of this government.
The Premier talks big when it comes to integrity, accountability and transparency. If only the
Premier practised what she preaches. This proposed legislation is a huge threat to our agriculture and
mining industries. This bill as reported would give a bureaucrat like the environment department’s
director-general the power to wind back retrospectively existing environmental approvals, licences and
permits to slash production capacity. It would allow an unelected bureaucrat free rein to unilaterally and
retrospectively close businesses. As the Australian has published, it is a sovereign risk of the highest
order.
Let’s be clear: the government’s secret plan will force farmers to cut the number of livestock they
own. It will see the government dictate what graziers and landholders can do with their land. It will wreak
havoc on our rural and regional communities. It will drive up the cost of living through the high cost of
beef. This will impact all Queenslanders regardless of postcode. Even more concerning, and as
reported, by the Australian, this draft legislation has the fingerprints of Tim Seelig, the environment
department’s strategic policy head, all over it. Who could forget Mr Seelig’s past as the Wilderness
Society’s campaign manager and a well-known anti-mining activist? If that is not a red flag, I do not
know what is.
Tabled paper: Article from the Australian, dated 16 August 2022, titled ‘Red tape threat to miners, farmers’ 1145.
Today in question time I asked the Premier to rule out these secret changes. The Premier did not
even know about the news article, so to assist the Premier I tabled a copy of the front-page article from
the Australian. Instead of answering the question, the Premier waffled for three minutes and refused to
rule out graziers being forced to limit the number of cattle they can run. That is right: the Premier refused
to rule out dictating the amount of cattle graziers can run on their land. The Premier’s response to my
question should be concerning for each and every Queenslander. We know that the fish rots from the
head. It is up to the Premier to put a stop to this destructive legislation. This legislation would severely
impact the rural and regional communities that I proudly represent as the member for Gympie and as
the shadow minister for agriculture.
Today’s admission by the Premier proves that Labor is continuing its attack on farmers and on
our rural and regional communities. The Premier’s comments come at a time of heightened uncertainty
for agriculture in Queensland. Queensland’s rural and regional communities have for too long been
starved of a genuine voice in the government and in the cabinet. We know that the agriculture minister
struggles to have his voice heard around the cabinet table. You need to look no further than at the
department’s budget papers to prove that. As every other department increases in staffing, the
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is literally going backwards. The threat of outbreaks of
foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease and Japanese encephalitis should be front and centre for
all governments. We must be ready to respond.
Queensland’s agriculture community still face other challenges. Labour shortages continue to be
one of the biggest constraints for the industry. This government’s only solution has been to run into the
ground, close down and sell off Queensland’s premier agricultural training colleges. We need a solution
to the labour crisis, and we need it now. Who can forget the photo of Minister Furner proudly shutting
and locking the gates of the former Longreach agricultural training college?
The effect of years of drought is still current and real for many landholders. Cattle numbers have
decreased. We know that grazing is a key economic driver that underpins the success of our rural and
regional communities. It is a key export that sees Queensland on the centre stage of beef production in the
world. I call on Minister Furner to oppose this bureaucratic and government absurdity. Minister Furner
must brief the Premier so that she understands the actual importance of grazing and how the livestock
industries of this state operate. Certainty is critical to graziers, and underhanded approaches must not
become the norm for this Premier.
